Serendipity
by xxxjoxxx
Summary: Fate. Destiny. Serendipity. Two people whose lives were always meant to intertwine. A series of moments over 23 years in which the world intervenes to combine their trajectories, ensuring that when it was finally their time - they knew.
1. Chapter 1

**Serendipity**

AN: I'm back! So this is an idea that I couldn't get out of my head. I love the idea that whatever path life took them down, they were destined to find one another. I'm not sure how old Charles is supposed to be in the show, I'm guessing 45 – which is what I'm going with for this story, 4 years older than Liza.

I loved how the show showed us that Charles and Liza were destined to find each other, that even if Liza had never gone to work for Empirical, they would have been introduced by Bob and Julia anyway :) So this is an idea I had based on this and the theory that everything happens for a reason, and at the time that it's supposed to happen. Charles and Liza were always meant find each other, but what if they'd met before? A series of moments over 23 years, leave indelible imprints on them. It wasn't their time then, but the world kept ensuring their paths overlapped, so that when it was their time – they'd know.

I was originally planning on a one-shot, but I've always been a bit of an over-achiever and so this has turned into a five-shot! I'll update daily/ bi-daily :)

Disclaimer: I sadly do not own Younger, it's characters or any canon text.

* * *

June 5th 1995: Princeton

CHARLES

His fingers trembled as he straightened his tie for probably the fifth time. It was a purple paisley – he wasn't quite sure why, but it was his favourite. He exhaled deeply as he checked his appearance in the mirror of his college dorm room. Navy suit – crisp and not a wrinkle in sight, favourite tie – check, hair – slightly unruly but presentable, an entire butterfly farm fluttering around in his stomach…definitely check! He was nervous. He was graduating today, summa cum laude, but what was really nerve wracking was that he was giving the valedictory speech – in front of a few thousand people. To anyone on the outside looking in, he appeared confident and socially skilled, but in reality he was a very private and shy person. So whilst being valedictorian was a huge honour, especially at Princeton, it also scared the crap out of him.

His speech was safely tucked away in his jacket pocket. He wasn't 100% sure about it though, whether it was interesting enough, whether it was too long or too short, but it was too late to do anything about it now. He was pushing it for time – he knew that, but he just needed a few more minutes of solitude to build himself up.

"Hey Upchuck! Come on man, your parents are ready to send out a search party! You can't be late for your own speech." Charles sighed – so much for solitude.

"Alright, I'm coming. Just…give me a minute. I'll meet you down there."

In a rare moment of understanding and solidarity, Jay – who usually spent his time teasing him, clapped him on the back in encouragement and smiled. "OK, but if you're not down in 10 minutes I'm gunna stop running interference with your parents."

Charles chuckled, "Thanks."

Jay smiled and turned back to him just before he reached the door. "And Charles, stop worrying about your speech – you'll do great." That meant a lot to Charles, especially considering Jay had actually used his real name. "Plus, even if it's really bad, none of the females in the audience are actually gunna hear a word you say anyway because they'll be too busy staring at that annoyingly attractive face of yours." And there it was – the Jay he had been used to for the past four years. He rolled his eyes good naturedly as Jay left him alone again. Jay had always joked about the effect he had on women, but he always just shrugged it off, not understanding what all the fuss was about.

He took one last deep breath for courage then grabbed his cap and gown, that were folded neatly on his bed, and hurried out of the dorms. So caught up was he in stressing about his speech as he headed across the courtyard, that he didn't notice the dark-haired young woman who was dragging a suitcase whilst simultaneously reading a book, and obliviously heading directly for him. He noticed her however when she crashed right into his chest, the impact surprising her and knocking her slight frame backwards. He reached out just in time to catch her arm and prevent her from falling. The jolts of electricity that shot through his veins when his skin touched hers surprised him. He was pretty sure she felt it too because she took a sharp intake of breath. As their gazes met, it was his turn to catch his breath as he noticed just how beautiful she was. It took him a few moments of staring before he remembered his manners.

"I-I'm so sorry – this was my fault, I was in a world of my own and wasn't looking where I was going. Are you okay?"

The woman smiled at him and his heart did a little flutter in his chest that he'd never felt before. "It's okay – really. I wasn't looking where I was going either – that'll teach me to walk and read at the same time!"

Charles chuckled and looked down at her hand that was still holding her book. He blushed when he realised he was still holding onto her arm. Reluctantly he let it go, and if he wasn't mistaken, he was sure there was a flash of disappointment on her face at the loss of contact. He smiled as he registered her choice of reading material. "Look Homeward Angel – no wonder you were distracted" he teased.

She blushed and an adorable rosy hue coloured her cheeks. He mentally slapped himself at the absurdity of the fact he'd only known this woman for five minutes and he was already thinking of her as adorable. "I'm a bit of a bookworm" she admitted.

Charles grinned. "So am I. Although my multitasking skills aren't advanced enough to combine reading and walking."

She giggled and he felt a tingle run down his spine. "Yeah you seemed to be having difficulty just mastering walking without getting into trouble."

Charles laughed, his anxiety over his speech totally gone. He liked this woman – she had a sense of humour and could hold her own. "Touché! Although I do have an excuse for being distracted today." He held up his cap and gown and watched as her eyes widened in delight.

"You're graduating today?!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious and he smiled, "Yeah, I am. It's more my speech that I'm nervous about though."

"You're valedictorian?" He nodded shyly. "Wow! Congratulations - that's incredible! You should be really proud."

Charles smiled warmly at her. "I am - it's a huge honour. It's just the idea of standing up in front of thousands of people and talking about myself, kinda fills me with dread."

She returned his smile, "Yeah, I can understand that. But they chose you for a reason, and you seem like an easy person to talk to - at least I think so. I'm sure you'll be fine. What was your major?"

He didn't know this woman – he didn't even know her name, but her belief in him was comforting. "Thank you. I majored in English."

Her eyes lit up at this. "Really? Me too! At least I will be - I'm interning over the summer with one of the professors, then I'll be a freshman in the fall."

Charles grinned – what were the odds?! "It's a great course - you'll love it" he told her, not understanding why but feeling an inexplicable need to prolong their conversation.

"I hope so. So, do you know what you're going to say in your speech?"

"Well I've written it out, but I'm not sure about some of the content."

She smiled encouragingly at him, "Use me as a sounding board - I'll tell you if I think it'll drop like a lead balloon."

Charles chuckled, "I was going to talk about my favourite book as a child, but I don't want to lie." He was never normally this open and candid with strangers, but for whatever reason, he wanted to share with her.

"Why would you lie?" she asked curiously.

"I was never much of a reader" Charles explained, "but I loved baseball, so I just told everybody that my baseball coach told me that reading would ruin my eyesight and I'd never hit a curveball again. I did read comic books though."

She laughed, "Well if you're going to lie, which I'm not suggesting, because…"

"Because lying is bad" Charles finished for her.

"Uh yes, but in certain cases, acceptable."

"Even necessary. Go on."

"I would go with 'To Kill a Mockingbird'" she suggested.

He loved that she was so well versed in literature. "Excellent idea. I don't think that 'The Hulk' is gonna cut it."

She giggled and he couldn't get enough of that sound. She regarded him curiously and then smiled. "You know what, I think you should go with The Hulk."

Charles grinned, "You're really putting me out on a limb here."

"Well it'll be a Princeton valedictory speech first. Plus, The Hulk is cool!"

Charles laughed, the tension he felt about his speech ebbing away with every moment he spent with her. He opened his mouth to reply but he was interrupted by Jay yelling at him from across the courtyard.

"Upchuck! Come on man – everyone's taking their seats, and I can't keep your parents at bay any longer!"

Charles scowled at his friend and his awful timing. He couldn't care less about speeches right now, he just wanted to carry on talking to this woman. "Alright, I'm coming! I'll meet you in there."

Charles looked apologetically at her. "I'm sorry, I guess I have to go." And he really was sorry.

She smiled warmly at him. "Don't be sorry - it's your graduation, you can't miss your own valedictory speech! You've earned this - go and be amazing, and tell them how reading The Hulk as a child helped you become valedictorian!"

Charles returned her smile, "Thank you. I feel less nervous now. I'm glad I literally bumped into you. I'm Charles by the way."

"I'm Liza" she replied, shaking the hand he'd held out to her. The electric current he'd felt before when their skin touched, rippled through his veins once again as their hands met. He didn't want to leave, but he knew he had to. They held hands for a few seconds longer than would normally be considered customary, before Liza smiled regretfully at him, sensing that their time was coming to an end. "Good luck Charles."

"You too Liza"

They shared one last look before continuing on their way. He paused at the door to the graduation hall and looked back, watching as Liza walked up the steps towards the dorms. His breath caught in his throat when she turned back as well and caught his gaze. She smiled and nodded at him, assuring him that he would be fine. With one last smile at her, he headed inside.

He took her advice and went with The Hulk, and she was right - it went down well. Liza. He had a feeling that he wouldn't forget her. Little did he know then, how true that feeling would be.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed/ favourited/ followed - I love reading your comments and I'm really glad you're enjoying it :)

So whilst this fic won't be another epically long one like It Was Real, I'll try to pack a lot into five chapters :)

Here's chapter 2...

* * *

6 years later…

March 2001: Manhattan

LIZA

Liza did her best to suppress the yawn that was building. She was at the '29 under 29' awards party with some of her colleagues from Random House, and although it was lively and music was blaring out, she was struggling to find the energy to stay awake. This was the first evening work function she'd made it to in months, as having a toddler wasn't conducive to having a social life, or even a work life outside of the standard 9-5. She was starting to feel like she was being left behind at work though with not attending functions like this, so she'd made the effort to get dressed up and do her hair and come out tonight. Standing here, watching everyone so carefree, she just didn't feel like she fitted in anymore.

She'd started working at Random House straight out of college and it was her dream job. She loved publishing and she was fully intent on building her career and working her way up. But two months after starting work she'd had the shock of her life when she found out that she was pregnant. She'd been with her college boyfriend, David, for about a year, and marriage and kids weren't even on her radar at that point. As soon as she saw Caitlin on the sonogram though she instantly fell in love, and there was no question about whether or not she'd keep her. She was terrified though – she was only 22 and had no idea about how to be a mother. So when David proposed, even though it wasn't the type of love she'd always dreamed of finding – the love she'd read about in novels, she said yes because she was scared of doing it on her own.

She'd been idealistic to begin with and thought she could do it all – have the career and the baby, but in reality it was far harder. She felt guilty for leaving Caitlin during the day and felt like she was missing out on precious moments of her life, and being here tonight just emphasised how much her life had changed and that she couldn't give 100% to her career either. Liza was starting to feel like even though she loved her job and wanted to make it in the publishing world, she may have to quit – because she loved Caitlin more. Liza reasoned that she could always go back into publishing when Caitlin was older, but she'd never be able to get the time back that she'd miss with her daughter.

Liza got the feeling she was being watched and was brought out of her musings by a tingle running down her spine at the sound of a voice she'd recognise anywhere, even though she hadn't heard it in 6 years.

"I know you."

Liza's breath caught in her throat as she looked up into the face of the man she'd spent less than fifteen minutes with when she was 18, but had never forgotten. He looked just as she remembered – so tall and broad, his bright green eyes so captivating with their unique colour. She'd thought he was attractive when she first met him but time had definitely served him well – he looked less like a boy now and more like a man with his square jaw and styled stubble. He was without doubt the most attractive man she'd ever met.

She smiled as he blushed shyly. "I'm sorry – that sounded like a really bad pick up line, but you look very familiar."

Liza smiled warmly at him. "Princeton – I literally ran into you on your way to graduation."

He grinned widely, the smile lighting up his whole face, clearly happy that she remembered him. "You're Liza."

The fact that he remembered her name after all this time sent a rush of warmth through her veins. "And you're Charles."

"Can I buy you a drink Liza?" he asked, hope radiating in his eyes.

"Sure."

As they made their way over to the bar, a wave of regret washed over her as she wandered how different things could have been if they'd stayed in contact before – would they have gotten together? Would they have fallen in love? But then she'd never have had Caitlin. Life was complicated sometimes.

* * *

Charles pulled her chair out for her and she smiled at the chivalry – it was novel and wasn't something she was used to, but she liked it.

"It's been what, 6 years?" Charles asked, amazement in his voice.

"Yeah, it's scary how quickly time flies!"

Charles smiled, "Last time I saw you, you weren't even a freshman yet."

"And last time I saw you, you were looking a little green about to go and give your valedictory speech. How did that go? Did you go with the Hulk?"

Charles looked at her with a look of awe and wonder on his face, as if he couldn't believe she remembered such small details about him from all that time ago. He didn't know that she remembered every single detail about their first meeting, it was indelibly imprinted in her brain, and that if she closed her eyes she could replay their entire conversation word for word. "It went well – people didn't fall asleep and I even got a few laughs. And I took your advice and went with the Hulk – it seemed to go down well, so thank you for that."

She smiled warmly at him. "You're welcome. See, I knew going with a Princeton valedictory speech first was the way to go."

He chuckled, and she recalled loving that sound just as much when she first heard it six years ago. "So what've you been doing for the last six years?"

"Well I graduated two years ago – I was actually valedictorian too, so I guess I followed in your footsteps."

Charles smiled widely and the pride was evident on his face. It was strange how someone who barely knew her could be so proud of her, but she couldn't deny she liked being able to put that look on his face. "Congratulations."

She blushed, "Thank you. I started working at Random House straight after college – I was an assistant for a while but I worked my way up to junior editor."

Charles raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed. "Wow – making junior editor in two years is impressive. You must be good."

Liza blushed shyly, she'd always felt a bit weird about taking compliments. "I try."

He smiled warmly at her, "I think publishing suits you, especially if you've always got your nose in a book – even when it results in you walking into people" he teased.

Liza giggled, "Well if I remember rightly, you weren't looking where you were going either."

"Touché" he replied smiling, repeating his response to her from their first conversation. It was strange how they both remembered so vividly, a seemingly random conversation they'd had so long ago.

"So what about you anyway? Hopefully you're not still walking into people" she teased.

Charles chuckled, "No one since you" he replied, and she couldn't help but feel there was a double meaning there. "I'm actually in publishing too – I work at Empirical."

What were the odds – they really did have a lot in common. She smiled at him, "What do you do there?"

"I'm a senior editor"

Now it was her turn to be impressed. "Wow – you must be pretty good yourself!"

He blushed shyly and ducked his head. "I do my best." It seemed like there was more he wanted to say, but she didn't press him. "With the rate you're going I can't imagine it'll be long before you make senior editor yourself."

She sighed sadly – she would love to be senior editor before she hit 30, but life just wasn't that simple. "I don't know about that – I've actually been considering quitting."

Charles's eyes widened in surprise, "What! Why?"

Liza smiled regretfully at him, knowing she was about to burst the happy bubble they'd been in for the past half an hour. "I have a two year old daughter. When she was born I thought I could have it all, but lately I've come to realise I can't be the editor I want as well as the mom I want."

Charles clearly wasn't expecting that and his eyebrows almost rose off his face. "You have a daughter?"

She smiled at the thought of her little girl, "I do."

His gaze dropped to her left hand and an unmistakeable look of disappointment crossed his beautiful face when he saw the ring on her finger. "You're married."

It was more of a statement than a question but she felt an inexplicable need to explain the situation to him. It was crazy but she felt guilty for not 'waiting' for him, even though before tonight they'd only had fifteen minutes together. "It definitely wasn't planned. I never thought I'd get married or have kids until I was like 30, and I was terrified when I found out. But I fell in love with her as soon as I saw her on the scan. I was still terrified, but there was no way I couldn't keep her." She paused and glanced up at him. He had a small smile on his face as he took in everything she had said, and gave her a nod of encouragement to continue. "David and I, he's my husband, we weren't all that serious, but when he found out I was pregnant he proposed. I know it's not the best reason to get married, but I was scared of doing it alone, so I said yes."

Charles was quiet for a moment as he processed everything. She wasn't sure what his reaction would be – most people at work thought she was crazy having a kid so early on in her career, but she was pleasantly surprised by his response. "Do you have a picture?"

Liza smiled warmly at him before rifling through her purse and pulling out a photo of Caitlin sitting on her lap at the beach, both of them with huge smiles on their faces. "This is Caitlin" she said proudly, holding the photo out to him.

Her colleagues tended to feign interest whenever she showed them pictures of Caitlin, but a genuine smile lit up Charles's face as he studied the photo. It warmed her heart. "She's beautiful. She looks just like you." He blushed and ducked his head when he realised he'd basically called her beautiful. She just found it endearing though.

"Thank you" she told him sincerely. And she was grateful – even though he seemed disappointed that she wasn't available, he'd put that aside and was the only person in her industry to not make her feel like an idiot for having a baby at 22. "What about you – do you have any kids?"

Charles looked wistful, "No, I don't. I'd like to have them – one day, but I'm kind of married to my job at the moment."

She smiled at him, "Waiting isn't a bad thing – at least you get to have a social life while you're still young. This is my first night out in… I can't even remember how long!"

Charles chuckled, "well then we should make it a good one." He lifted his glass and clinked it with hers. "Cheers."

Liza had been ready to bail and go home before Charles had showed up, but now her tiredness was forgotten and she was feeling more like herself than she had in a long time. She didn't know exactly what it was about him that caused her to never forget him, and that made her feel so alive right now. She knew at the end of the night she'd be going home to David – but even if they only got a snippet of time, she would cherish it and make the most of it. "So aside from being a hotshot senior editor, tell me something about you Charles."

He smiled, "what you want to know?"

She smiled back, "Everything."

And so that's how they spent the rest of the night, laughing and joking, and learning about each other – all of the things that made them them, even some things that they'd never told anyone else. Liza didn't question why it was so easy to talk to him, or why she felt so comfortable around him – she just allowed herself to enjoy the short time they had together. Neither of them noticed anyone else around them, or when the crowd started to thin out and people started to leave. They were only broken out of their little bubble when one of the wait staff came over to collect their glasses and they looked up to see that, aside from the staff, they were the only two still there.

Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she looked down at her watch. "It's 3 AM! We've been talking for like four hours!"

Charles looked equally amazed as he looked at his own watch for clarification. "Wow – I guess we lost track of time."

Liza had been so caught up in talking to him, she hadn't even noticed how long they'd been there. A wave of sadness settled over her as she realised their time was coming to an end. She needed to get home, David wouldn't be impressed with her coming back this late – he'd never been big on babysitting, even if it was for his own child. She didn't want to leave, but she knew she had to. "I should probably be getting home." Even to her own ears she sounded reluctant.

Charles dropped his gaze and looked equally reluctant to end their time together. "Yeah. I'm sorry I kept you out so late."

"Don't be silly - I've had a great time tonight." She reached out and touched his arm and they both gasped at the familiar electric shock that shot through their veins as their skin touched.

"Really?" he asked shyly.

"Really" she assured him.

Charles smiled, "Me too." He helped her into her coat. "Come on, I'll walk you to a cab."

Neither of them seemed in a hurry as they made their way outside and she berated herself for feeling relieved that there weren't any cabs in sight. Charles called one for her which gave them a few extra minutes together as they waited for it. They continued their conversation from earlier, talking like they'd been doing this for years. She'd never been disappointed when her cab had arrived before, but tonight she was.

She looked up at him and saw her own feelings reflected in his eyes. She knew she probably shouldn't, but she reached up and pulled him into a hug. He was slightly surprised at first but recovered and wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a few seconds to breathe him in and savour being in his arms. "Thank you for tonight Charles" she whispered.

Charles sighed, "No, thank you."

She reluctantly stepped out of his embrace and give him a sad smile. David may not be the love of her life - it may be that Charles is, but she'd made a commitment, and the feelings she was having right now for Charles, that had been there but dormant for the last six years, meant that she had already emotionally crossed a line. "Goodnight Charles"

She opened the car door and climbed in, but before she could close it, his voice stopped her. "Wait". She looked up at him and he looked how she felt. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. He paused, seemingly wanting to say something but deciding against it. "It was great to see you again Liza."

She smiled at him, "You too."

As the car drove away she forced herself not to look back at him, knowing it would just make it harder. She didn't see the longing look on his face as he watched the car until it was out of sight, or the way his shoulders slumped as he turned and walked away. She didn't know what would happen in the future, or if they would ever see each other again, but she would never forget tonight, and she would cherish those precious hours they'd spent together.

AN: I planned this chapter before e10 aired so I'm really sorry if this brings back painful memories of the last scene! Rest assured though #TeamCharles will always be endgame for me and I'll always provide them with a HEA!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews - as I've always said, they really do make my day :) I love hearing what you think and I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Some people were wandering why they didn't swap numbers and stay in contact last time - I've explained from Charles' POV why in this chapter :) So here's the next chapter and the next time the world intervened to bring our favourite couple together - hope you enjoy :)

* * *

July 2009: Manhattan

CHARLES

Charles leant his head back against the window on the subway and closed his eyes. He never normally took the subway, the company car or a taxi were more convenient, but for some reason today he felt like a change. His life had changed pretty dramatically lately – he was now a father to a two month old daughter. He smiled as he thought of Nicole and her big brown eyes and tiny little fingers and toes. He never knew it was possible to fall in love with someone quite so quickly as he did as soon as he laid eyes on his little girl – it was irrevocable and unconditional.

If he thought about it though, he did actually know what it was like to feel that instant love for someone – he'd experienced it 14 years ago on the day of his college graduation, but being so young he hadn't realised what it was then. Liza. He sighed as he thought of her. He hadn't seen her in 8 years now but he still remembered every detail of her face, and there hadn't been a day that had gone by when he hadn't thought about her. It was crazy really because in the 14 years since they'd met, they'd only spent a few short hours together. But in those few short hours he'd felt more alive and more like himself than he had done with anyone else. When he'd bumped into her at the 29 under 29 party he'd been so happy to see her again he hadn't been able to control the huge smile on his face. She'd seemed equally happy to see him too and it had warmed his heart. Finding out she was married was the biggest disappointment of his life – it was like a sucker punch to the heart to have found her again, only to realise she was still out of reach. Even though he knew she couldn't be his, he'd yearned to just 'be' with her and they'd talked for hours about anything and everything – totally oblivious to everyone else around them and lost in their own little world. Saying goodbye to her at the end of the night was physically painful. They could have swapped numbers and stayed in contact but he understood why she didn't – there was no denying there was something between them, that there had been from the moment they met, but even though through her own admission her husband wasn't the love of her life and their relationship wasn't one of romance novels or fairytales, she was still married – she'd made a commitment and he had to respect that.

It was this knowledge that even if they seemed so right for each other, even if the feelings between them were electric, and even if he felt like they could have the love of a lifetime together, the type of love that is written about in history books – he couldn't have her, that forced him to give another woman a chance. He might have physically moved on but he never quite managed to emotionally move on. His wife, Pauline, may not have made him smile quite so widely or his heart beat quite as fast, but she was smart and beautiful and wanted the same things out of life. She wasn't Liza but she'd given him Nicole, and for that he would be forever grateful.

As they stopped at a station and the doors opened, he smiled in disbelief as he heard the unmistakable giggle of the woman he'd just been thinking about. At first he thought he was imagining it – he'd thought about her often enough, but when he opened his eyes and saw her, there was no mistaking her wavy chestnut hair and bright smile. He chuckled at the irony of the fact that he hadn't rode the subway in years and the one day he decided to change that, she was riding it at the exact same time and place. Maybe the world was trying to tell him something.

Liza was with a young girl who was undoubtedly her daughter and she hadn't noticed him yet, so he took a few moments just to study her. She was just as beautiful as he remembered her and she hadn't aged a day – she could easily pass for being in her twenties. As she sat down two seats over from him she must have felt his eyes on her because she turned and did a double take when she saw him.

"Charles!" she exclaimed happily, a smile lighting up her face.

He smiled warmly at her. "Hello Liza". He hadn't said her name out loud in so long, it sounded like a prayer on his lips.

Her daughter peered around her, curious as to who her mother was talking to. Charles was shocked at how much she'd grown – the last time he'd seen a photo of her she'd been a toddler and now she was a 10 year old mini version of her mother. He smiled at her too, "And you must be Caitlin."

If he could have taken a photo of the look Liza gave him then he would have, because it was worth a million dollars. He was fairly certain he would remember it though. It was a look of awe and admiration of the fact that he remembered her daughter's name after all these years. She didn't realise though that it was impossible for him to ever forget anything about her.

"Caitlin, this is Charles – we met at Princeton."

Caitlin smiled shyly at him. "Hi".

"It's nice to meet you Caitlin." He held out his hand to her and the young girl smiled widely as she shook it. She looked so much like her mother when she smiled. With her curiosity satisfied, she plugged herself back into her iPod and settled back into her seat.

He and Liza just stared at each other for a few moments, as if trying to assure themselves that this wasn't a dream. "It's good to see you again" he told her reverently.

Liza smiled warmly, "You too."

"So how are you? It's been a long time." He wanted to know everything. He wanted to hear all about her life over the past 8 years that he'd spent missing her.

A wistful look came over her face, "It has. I've had my hands pretty full with this one." She smiled fondly at her daughter and he could tell she was a good mother.

He smiled warmly at her, "It looks like you've done a pretty good job."

She beamed at the compliment, "Thank you."

"So are you still working at Random House?"

She looked wistful again, "No actually, I left a few months after the last time I saw you – I didn't want to miss out on Caitlin's life."

"I get that – I've just had a daughter myself and I can't get enough of her."

Liza's eyes widened in surprise, "You're a father?"

He pulled out a photo from his wallet and handed it to her. "This is Nicole" The genuine smile that crossed her face when she looked at his daughter warmed his heart – she was genuinely happy for him.

"She's beautiful – she has your smile."

Charles beamed, "Thank you."

"You're married?" she asked more tentatively.

"Yeah - for a few years now."

She nodded in acceptance, but he didn't miss the look of disappointment in her eyes before she covered it up with a smile. "Congratulations."

He sighed - there was no doubt in his mind that if she hadn't been married when they'd last seen each other, that things would be different now, and he would never have let her walk away at the end of the night. "Thank you. I figured I needed to at least try to let somebody else in." He held her gaze as he spoke, allowing her to understand what he didn't say - that she was the one that he'd originally let into his heart, and who was unequivocally still there. Time and circumstance may have prevented them from being together, but something - be it fate, destiny, or something else, kept reuniting them and aligning their trajectories.

Liza understood what he was trying to say because she gave him a bittersweet smile. He didn't want the first time he saw her in eight years to be a sad occasion though, so he tried to lighten the mood. "Do you have any tips for parenting little girls? I feel like I haven't got a clue what I'm doing and that I'm totally out of my depth. How do you stay so calm?"

Liza chuckled and glanced at Caitlin, who was totally engrossed in her iPod. "Oh I don't - whenever she's not with me I'm tracking her phone and panicking the entire time!"

Charles laughed – she'd always had a way of calming him down and making him laugh. "So is that what I have to look forward to?"

"Oh no, fathers and daughters – it's going to be much worse!" she teased.

He chuckled and they grinned at each other, just basking in being in each other's presence once more after all this time. "Do you ever think about getting back into publishing?"

Liza got a faraway look in her eyes as she contemplated this, "Publishing is my passion, and I want to be an editor again one day. When Caitlin's a bit older I'd love to get back into it."

Charles didn't think twice as he pulled his wallet out again, took out a business card and handed it to her. "Here - take this. You can never have too many good editors." He smiled warmly at her, "Whenever you feel the time is right to come back, give me a call."

She glanced at the business card and smiled gratefully at him before putting it safely in her purse. He hoped she would use it, not just because it would mean he'd get to see her again, but because he genuinely thought she'd be an excellent editor and an asset to Empirical. Her having his number also gave her the means to contact him and left it less up to fate for their paths to cross again.

As the subway pulled up at the next stop, Liza looked regretfully over at him. "This is our stop."

A panic settled over him at the thought of her leaving again. "Mine too" he blurted out.

She looked at him amused as they stood up, "you're going to Brooklyn?"

He looked at the station sign and realised he'd been so absorbed in talking to her that he'd actually missed his stop anyway. "Is that so hard to believe?" She smirked and raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him. He blushed, "Okay fine – I may have missed my stop."

She giggled as the three of them stepped off the train, and he knew he could never tire of hearing that sound. They stood on the platform staring at each other, knowing they had to say goodbye but not knowing how. Liza took the initiative and startled him by pulling him into a hug. He sighed as he rested his head on top of hers and held her to him. "I missed you" he whispered.

He felt her sigh against his chest, "I missed you too." It was comforting to know that he wasn't alone in this thing that they shared.

As they stepped apart Liza gave him a sad smile, "Goodbye Charles".

His voice cracked as he replied, "Goodbye Liza". He swallowed the lump in his throat and smiled at Caitlin, "It was nice to meet you Caitlin."

The young girl smiled at him and waved as she and Liza, who with one last longing glance at him, turned and walked away.

"Wait!" he called after her, needing just one more moment. She turned, and the look on her face almost broke him. "It was really good to see you again Liza."

"You too". She smiled a heart-breaking smile and nodded. No more words were needed because everything was said in that look - they both felt it, they both knew this thing between them would never go away - but it wasn't their time right now.

He didn't know when or if he'd see her again, but he believed that things happened for a reason, and the world had conspired to throw them together three times now. He didn't know why when the timing was always wrong, but he knew it wasn't just coincidence. He didn't know what their purpose in each other's lives was – but he knew there was one. And one day, when the time was right, they'd find out.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Firstly, thank you so much for your amazing reviews – I really do appreciate them and I love hearing your feedback! Secondly, how amazing was e11?! I loved it and literally fell in love with them all over again! :) …this is also the reason I'm late with posting (sorry about that!) – Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been very unproductive for me for the past 3 months! This chapter is really long though and twice the usual length, so hopefully that makes up for the delay :)

A guest reviewer asked if I would consider writing one shot AUs for our favourite couple - if anyone would like to give me a suggestion for the premise, I'll definitely consider it :)

I know Younger started in 2015, but their timeline is obviously different to ours – twenties Liza is still 27 so if we're presuming they're now ahead of us in time in Spring 2019 then realistically no more than 18 months could have passed between the start of S1 and now…so for the purposes of this story, and for everyone's ages to be correct by the final chapter, I'm having the beginning of S1 happen in 2017.

So anyway, here's Chapter 4 – hope you enjoy it :)

* * *

June 2017: New Jersey

LIZA

Liza looked around what was no longer her living room at the last 15 years of her life packed into cardboard boxes. She didn't know how her life had come to this. She'd known for years that her and David were only maintaining their marriage for Caitlin's sake, and that they were cohabiting more as friends than spouses, but never would she have imagined that he'd do something like this. Not only had he been cheating on her, but he'd gambled away all of their money – including Caitlin's college fund. She couldn't get over the unbelievable stupidity and recklessness of the man she'd spent the last 18 years of her life with – he hadn't just lost their money, he'd jeopardized their daughter's future, and that she would never forgive him for.

Divorce papers had been drawn up the day after she'd found out and she'd unceremoniously kicked David out. Caitlin was thankfully away in India for the summer before she started college so she didn't have to witness any of this. They'd had to sell the house to pay off David's debt so she now had no money to her name and with no job she had no means of supporting herself, or Caitlin. She thanked God for her best friend Maggie because if it hadn't been for her agreeing to let her stay at her apartment, she'd be living in Michelle's pool house right now.

The moving van was outside ready to take her to her new home in Brooklyn, and Maggie was there to help her sort through a lifetime of belongings and decide what she wanted to keep. The majority of the things she'd amassed during her marriage she wasn't bothered about and were going into storage, the only things she was taking with her to Maggie's were her day to day items such as clothes and toiletries, as well as a few photo albums of Caitlin.

Liza took one last look at what used to be her home – it was strange because she would have thought she'd be sadder to leave. She was still fuming about David leaving them bankrupt but leaving here also gave her a sense of relief – she felt lighter as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It was a fresh start for her – Caitlin was grown up and off to college (as long as she could find some way to pay the fees) so it was time to put herself first and focus on what she wanted to do. She picked up the final box, labelled 'memories' and made her way out of the door. This box she was taking with her – it contained little things she'd held onto over the years that meant something to her, such as photos, Caitlin's first tooth, a lock of hair from her first haircut, and a copy of the first book she ever published at Random House. Those were the things that mattered to her, she didn't care about the material things – David could take them all for all she cared.

Liza balanced the box precariously on her knee as she locked the front door. Something slipped through the side of the box and caught her eye as it fluttered to the floor. She bent down to pick it up and smiled as she saw what it was. She gently picked it up and ran her fingers softly over the embossed print on the well-worn business card she'd kept in her nightstand for the past 8 years. She'd memorised the text and phone number long ago, so she didn't really need the business card anymore, but having it with her made her feel like she had a connection to him so she was never going to part with it. Charles Brooks – she hadn't known his surname until he'd given her his business card, and she hadn't realised until she got home and looked at it again that he was THE Charles Brooks, owner and CEO of Empirical. His status wasn't an issue to her, and the fact that he hadn't brought it up told her he wasn't one of those guys that used his wealth and power to get what he wanted – and that just made her think even more of him. He didn't realise but she'd called him a number of times over the years, usually late at night when she knew he'd be out of the office, just so she could hear his voice on his answer machine – it was comforting when she'd had a bad day or found herself missing him. The last time she called him, a few weeks ago, she'd almost dropped the phone when instead of his voicemail, she'd gotten a tired sounding "hello". It was 2 AM so she wasn't sure what he was doing still being in the office at that time, but she'd been so surprised to hear his voice live that she hung up before she had a chance to ask. She ran her fingers over his name then carefully put the card back in the box so she wouldn't lose it.

When she realised she needed to get a job, and quickly, she'd considered calling him, but she felt like she needed to do this on her own – to prove to herself that she could. And she didn't want the next time they saw each other to be her asking for help. She smiled at the presumption that there would be a next time – it had been 8 years but deep down she always felt for some reason that they'd see each other again. Without interference from either of them, the world had found ways to bring them together 3 times now, and whilst she wasn't sure if she believed in fate, there must be a reason why they kept being brought back into each other's lives.

She had an interview at Macmillan tomorrow, and if it went well she'd have the job she needed to pay for Caitlin's tuition and she'd also be back in publishing. If it didn't go well then she would call Charles, because as much as she'd love to be able to tell him that she'd made it back into publishing herself, she needed a job and he had said he could help her with that.

Liza didn't look back as she walked down the drive and she smiled at Maggie who was waiting for her by the van.

"Are you ready to go?" Maggie asked.

Liza smiled. "Yeah. Yeah I am." And she really was – a fresh start was what she'd been needing for years, and she was fully intending to make the most of it.

* * *

The following evening: Midtown Manhattan

Liza walked into the bar and immediately spotted Maggie sitting in the corner at one of the tables. She'd texted her an hour ago and told her to come and meet her here, but hadn't said why. She kept her face expressionless as she made her way over.

Maggie stood up when Liza reached the table and looked at her expectantly. "Well, don't keep me in suspense – how did it go?"

Liza couldn't keep a straight face any longer as a huge smile broke out over her face. "I got it!" she exclaimed happily, "I'm now officially back in the land of the employed!"

"Oh my God Liza that's fantastic – I knew you could do it! Why didn't you tell me? I've been worried sick sitting here thinking you'd got me here to help you drown your sorrows!" Maggie playfully slapped her on the arm before pulling her in for a hug.

Liza laughed in happiness as she returned the hug. "I'm sorry – I wanted to surprise you."

"Well you definitely did that!" Maggie laughed as they sat down.

"And I also wanted to say thank you. Seriously Maggie, if it wasn't for you I don't know where I'd be right now." She felt herself start to tear up because Maggie had always been there for her, but ever since this whole debacle with David had started, Maggie had been her rock.

Maggie's eyes looked glassy too as she replied, "you don't need to thank me – you're my best friend, it's part of the job."

"I do" Liza insisted, "you've done way more than most people would and I'll never forget it."

Maggie blinked back a tear and waved her off with her hand. "So what are you gunna be doing at Macmillan?"

"It's just an assistant's role but it's got me back into publishing, and I always knew I'd have to start at the bottom. And the guy, Jay, who interviewed me thought I had potential and said there was a lot of opportunity to move up in the company."

Maggie placed her hand over the top of hers, "Liza, give yourself some credit – you've got back into the field you love – you should be proud of yourself. Plus, you made Junior Editor in two years last time round – you'll be back up there in no time!"

"Thank you." Liza smiled, comforted by her best friend's belief in her.

"Enough with the thanking – we should be drinking!" Liza laughed as Maggie got up and went over to the bar to order some drinks.

After a few rounds they were both well on their way to being tipsy so ordered some food to soak up some of the alcohol. Two hours later Liza was well fed and happily relaxed, listening to Maggie talk about her latest love interest - a Jewish woman she'd met at the allotments. After one more drink they decided to head home, but as she stood up something, or should she say someone, sitting at the bar caught her eye.

He had his back to her but there was no mistaking that 6ft5 frame and dark blond hair. "That's him" Liza whispered in amazement.

"That's who?" Maggie asked confused.

"Charles" Liza said simply, not taking her eyes off him.

Maggie followed her gaze, "Charles Charles?" she asked. Liza just nodded. "So that's the guy you've been hung up on all these years?"

"Yeah that's him." She didn't even bother trying to deny that she'd been hung up on him for over half her life because she knew Maggie wouldn't believe her – she didn't even believe herself.

"Go talk to him. You two really just need to bang and get it out of your systems! Consummate and deflate!"

Liza sighed, "It's not that simple – it's never been that easy."

Maggie squeezed her shoulder and smiled. "Nothing worth having comes easy" she said simply. "I'll see you at home – maybe." She winked and then left no room for argument as she left her there staring at Charles's back. Whilst Liza wanted to see him, she was nervous – it had been 8 years since their last chance encounter. There was no way she could just walk away and pass up the opportunity to talk to him though.

She consciously smoothed out her dress and took a deep breath, in an attempt to slow down her speeding heart rate, as she made her way over to him. As she got closer to him she saw that his shoulders were slumped and he looked sad. Her heart went out to him. "Hey" she said softly as she came to stand behind him.

She knew he recognised her because he tensed and then spun around in his chair. There was definitely pain in his eyes but when he saw her, the wide smile that overtook his face spoke of relief and overriding happiness that she was there. "Liza" he breathed, her name coming out as a sigh as if he couldn't believe she was there. His chivalry took over as he stood up and gestured for her to sit down next to him. "Please, have a seat. Can I get you a drink?"

Liza couldn't help but smile at his eagerness to make her comfortable. "Thank you. I've had quite a few drinks tonight already" she giggled, "so maybe just an orange juice". Charles gestured at the bar tender and less than a minute later her drink was in front of her. "Thank you."

"It's good to see you Liza – it's been too long." The look in his eyes was intense and his voice held a longing that she recognised in herself. He'd missed her – just like she'd missed him.

"It has" she agreed, then decided to be honest with him, and herself, "I missed you."

The joy and relief on his face at her words was palpable and it gave her goose bumps. "I missed you too."

They smiled shyly at each other as they reacquainted themselves with each other's presence. Time had served him well, and if anything he had gotten even more attractive with age. "You looked kinda sad when I saw you sitting here. Are you okay?" She'd come to care about him a lot over all these years – more than she'd ever admitted out loud, and she wanted to know that he was alright.

He dropped his gaze and he looked troubled again. He looked up and gave her a sad smile, "Do you really want to hear all about my problems?"

He really didn't know just how much she cared about him. She placed her hand on top of his, "Yeah – I do." They both gasped at the contact – the electricity she felt whenever they'd touched before was just as strong, if not stronger, than ever.

He looked at her with a look of wonder on his face, as if he'd expected her to say no, and it made her heart clench. He sighed, "Okay…my wife left me for another man 3 months ago and moved to California, and the first I knew about it was when I got home after work and found a note and all of her stuff gone. I'd known things hadn't been right between us for years but I never expected her to be so selfish – leaving me is fair enough, but she left the girls without a word and they haven't seen her since. They don't deserve that."

Liza's eyes widened in shock – she wasn't expecting that. "Wow. That's…that's intense." Charles just nodded sadly. "I really do understand how you feel." He looked at her curiously. "We have even more in common than I thought – my husband cheated on me with another woman a few months ago too. He also gambled away all our money as well, including Caitlin's college fund, but that's another story. I kicked him out and filed for divorce the day after I found out, but I had to sell the house to pay off his debt – I moved in with my best friend Maggie yesterday. So I totally get the anger and betrayal you're feeling right now."

It was Charles's turn to look stunned now. "Wow" he replied, mirroring her response. "I'm sorry but your husband is an idiot – to have you, to be married to you, and to throw that away…I just can't understand why anyone would do that."

Liza opened her mouth but no sound came out – the sincerity in his voice was disarming. It was the first time she'd heard him voice the feelings she knew were between them, but they'd never explicitly admitted to each other. "I guess he didn't see it that way."

"Like I said – stupid!"

Liza chuckled and they smiled at each other, "Like you said, I'm more angry that he jeopardised our daughter's future than the fact that he cheated. I mean, it was a shitty thing to do, but I've actually felt more free and more like myself since he left – is that weird?"

"It's not weird – I understand what you mean" he assured her. Given the ironic similarity of their situations, if anyone could understand where she was coming from it was him.

She suddenly remembered something he'd said earlier. "Wait, you said 'girls' – as in more than one?".

A proud smile lit up his face and she found it incredibly endearing as he opened his wallet and showed her a picture of two smiling little girls. "Yeah I have two now. That's Nicole, and that's Bianca" he told her, pointing at each in turn.

Liza's eyes widened in amazement, but she smiled at the picture of the two girls who looked so much like their father. "They're beautiful Charles." He beamed at her words, so obviously a doting father. "I can't believe that's Nicole – the last time I saw you she was a tiny baby!"

He looked wistfully down at the photograph, "She's 8 now – I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by." He looked back up and caught her gaze, "And I can't believe it's been 8 years since I last saw you."

"I know." All of the time she'd spent thinking about him and missing him over the years hit her like a freight train. "It's been too long."

"It has" he replied, mirroring their earlier words. He smiled warmly at her and a comfortable silence settled over them, their eyes saying everything without the need for words. "So are you back in the publishing world now?"

Liza smiled proudly, "I am actually – as of this afternoon." Charles's eyes widened in surprise, "I'm going to be working at Macmillan – it's only an assistant role but I'm gunna work my way back up."

The happiness on Charles's face was obvious and it warmed her heart. "That's amazing Liza! Don't downplay your achievement – I'm proud of you."

Her throat tightened at his words – he brought out so many emotions in her it was overwhelming. Her voice cracked as she replied, "Thank you."

He smiled and she knew she could very easily get lost in his eyes. "I guess we'll have to step up our game at Empirical because it looks like Macmillan has just taken on a heavy hitter."

She chuckled, and just like that they were back to the playful banter that had always been present between them and that had captured her heart in the courtyard at Princeton. It never failed to amaze her that however long they'd been apart, whenever they met it was as if no time had passed at all, and they talked as though it were something they did every day. They caught up on 8 years of life without each other – the highs and the lows. As she'd become accustomed to whenever she was with him, the whole world around them disappeared as they became totally absorbed in their little bubble.

She didn't know how long they were there for but she only remembered they weren't alone in the bar when a woman cleared her throat behind them and then placed a possessive hand on Charles's chest. Liza disliked her immediately. The woman leant down and kissed his cheek, keeping her eyes on Liza whilst she did so.

"I'm so sorry I'm late Charles – my faculty meeting ran over and I couldn't get away."

Charles smiled tightly at her and he looked like he wished she was still in her meeting, which gave Liza a smug sense of satisfaction. This couldn't be the wife/ ex-wife surely – she looked nothing like his girls. Charles must have read her mind because he awkwardly introduced them.

"Rahda, this is Liza – we met at Princeton and we've known each other ever since." Liza smiled at this description, because even though they'd only physically met a few times in all those years, they did know each other – very well. "Liza, this is Rahda, she's –"

"His date" Rahda finished for him, whilst glaring at her. Liza resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She plastered on a fake smile as she continued, "It's a pleasure to meet you Liza".

Liza had to force herself not to laugh – it clearly wasn't a pleasure to meet her, and the feeling was entirely mutual. She plastered on an equally fake smile as she replied, "you too."

Charles looked decidedly uncomfortable and the look he gave her was incredibly apologetic. She couldn't deny the thought of him being here on a date stung – a lot. But she had no right to feel aggrieved – Charles wasn't hers and he had every right to date whomever he chose. Her ego did enjoy how Charles seemed to have forgotten Rahda was even coming, and didn't look at all happy to see her. Despite that though, he was clearly attempting to move on after his marriage breakdown and she had no right to get in the way of that. "Liza, I –"

"I should really be going" she replied, cutting him off. "It's getting late and I need to get back to Brooklyn." Liza pushed herself up off the bar stool and smiled sadly at him.

Charles stood up so quickly his stool clattered against the bar. "Let me call you a car" he pleaded, an air of desperation in his voice.

She smiled warmly at him, grateful for his care and concern. "Thank you, but it's really not necessary – I'll be fine getting the L."

"Are you sure? I could have a car here in 5 minutes?"

"I'm sure – thank you." Rahda was glaring daggers at her, but she ignored her and closed the distance between her and Charles, enveloping him in a hug. He was caught off guard but quickly recovered, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head on top of hers. She took a deep breath as she lay her head on his chest, where she fitted so well, and breathed in his familiar scent. "It was really good to see you tonight Charles" she whispered.

He sighed and his warm breath on her ear sent tingles down her spine. "It was great seeing you too Liza."

As she reluctantly pulled away she immediately mourned the loss of his warmth surrounding her. She smiled sadly at him, "Goodnight Charles." As she turned to leave, his fingers brushed hers as if desperately seeking her touch just one more time. The now familiar shiver ran up her arm at the feel of his skin on hers.

"Goodnight Liza". She chanced one last glance at him and she was sure the pained look in his eyes was reflected in her own.

Once outside on the sidewalk she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She closed her eyes and willed the tears not to fall, before she started walking. She hadn't made it more than a few paces however, before the voice that she heard every night in her dreams stopped her in her tracks.

"Wait!" Liza spun around to find that Charles had followed her out and was looking at her with an intense, heady mix of desperation, longing, and something she was scared to put a name to. He sighed, "I'm sorry about Rahda – she and I, it's not-"

"Charles it's okay" she interrupted, "you don't need to explain anything to me."

"I do" he insisted, "And I want to." And with those few little words, he was acknowledging that there was something between them. "We've met up a couple of times, that's all – it's nothing serious, and I very much doubt it ever will be. It's just…"

"you're trying to move on" she finished for him. "I get it – we've both just come out of messy marriages, it's okay to want someone to spend time with, someone to talk to." The idea of him with that obnoxious woman inside made her stomach roll, but she cared enough about him to want him to be happy.

"You're the only person I want to talk to" Charles insisted, and she felt her heart flutter in her chest. "But the more we talk, the more I want to hold you, or kiss you…" They were definitely being more verbally open with their feelings tonight, which probably had something to do with the marriage barrier being removed for them both.

She allowed herself to do what every cell in her body was begging her to do and closed the gap between them, so there were only mere inches of space separating them. She intertwined her fingers with his and held his hand as she looked up at him. "I feel the same way." She gasped and closed her eyes as he tenderly cupped her cheek with his hand.

"So stay" he breathed. Liza knew he wasn't just talking about tonight, he was imploring her to stay in his life as well.

She smiled warmly at him, "Charles, in case you haven't noticed, the world seems to have a strange habit of bringing us together. I don't know exactly why - I have an idea, but I'm fairly certain we're not done yet."

"I can't go another eight years without seeing you. I miss you."

"I miss you too." It could be the alcohol that was making her braver and less guarded, but the words just started pouring out of her mouth, "my feelings are there, and they're real." The look of joy and relief on his face was palpable and she wanted nothing more than to kiss him, but she held back. "If this thing between us is meant to be something, then it deserves a real shot." It would be so easy to leave it there and just fall into his arms, but she knew in the long run that wasn't what was best for them right now. "But we're both going through divorces – I don't want to be your rebound, and I don't want you to be mine. If we got together right now it would fail before it even had chance to begin, because we both need time to repair. If we do this, it needs to be the right time - because if how it feels just to hold your hand is anything to go by, I think that we could be pretty amazing together." Liza couldn't quite believe she'd said all that out loud - and to his face. She was never that candid - the alcohol had definitely disabled the filter between her brain and her mouth.

Charles had looked like he wanted to interrupt whilst she was speaking, but he allowed her to say her piece. He smiled and his eyes spoke more than any words could convey - he felt it too. "It's been a tough year" he agreed, "you're the one bright spot." She smiled at that and he squeezed her hand. "We've waited this long, I can wait a little longer."

They said their goodbyes again, but this time it was less painful because they knew they would see each other again, and they had hope for what they could be together in the future. They smiled at each other and as Charles tentatively bent his head and placed a tender kiss on her temple, she felt her knees go weak. If it wasn't for the protective arm he had around her, she would have been a puddle of mush on the floor. This was the first time he'd kissed her, and the feel of his lips on her skin was indescribably euphoric.

With one last hug - for now, she started towards the subway, but not before his voice caused her to turn back once more. "And Liza, just so you know - my feelings for you are real as well, and they have been ever since I was 22."

The smile didn't leave her face all the way back to Brooklyn.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thank you SO MUCH for your amazing comments for chapter 4, and for all of the previous chapters too – I can't say enough how much they mean and make my day :) Thank you also for all of your suggestions for future one-shots – they were great! Ashley, Jen – I'm going with your suggestion first so watch this space!

So this is the final chapter of Serendipity and I'm actually pretty proud of this one :) I hope you like it and please let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading, enjoy :)

* * *

December 21st 2018: Manhattan

CHARLES

Charles dropped his briefcase on the table and loosened his tie as he tiredly sank down onto the couch. It had been a long day – it had actually been a long year, but today was the last day of work before the Christmas shutdown and he was immensely grateful for the prospect of being able to rest. The girls were with Pauline for a few days until Christmas Eve so he had the house to himself. Resting would have to wait however because he'd been told in no uncertain terms by his best friend Bob, and Bob's wife Julia, that his presence was required at their annual holiday party. Apparently he worked too much and didn't have enough fun, and because he'd reneged on the last few social occasions with them, he was obliged to attend this one. He loved Bob and Julia – they'd really been there for him over the last 18 months, and he knew they were just trying to look out for him and make sure he didn't become too insular after his divorce. But all he really wanted to do tonight was relax and think about tomorrow, and what he'd been looking forward to for the past 27 days, 2 hours and 35 minutes. Tomorrow he was going to get to talk to Liza.

They'd been talking to each other on the phone once a month for the past 10 months now. He smiled fondly as he thought back to the first time he'd plucked up the courage and sent her an email at work. It hadn't taken much digging to find her work email address but he'd spent two hours drafting and redrafting his message – wanting it to be right as it would be their first communication since that night at the bar, when they'd admitted for the first time what he'd always known – that there was something indelible between them. But given their ironically concurrent marriage breakdowns, they needed some time to repair emotionally from those in order to give them the best chance of being able to move forward together.

He'd thought, and typed, and cursed at his screen before typing some more, before finally settling on their joint passion – literature:

' _Hey, I hope you don't mind me contacting you, but you're the biggest book worm I know and I could use your help. I'm being featured in By The Book and there's no one I'd trust more to give me some pointers on what to include? There's the basics – what's on your nightstand? How did you fall in love with literature? Which artist is most underrated?...any suggestions? I also though about including a favourite quote and was considering Fitzgerald's "I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self respect. And it's these things I'd believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn't all she should be…I love her and that's the beginning and end of everything". What do you think?_

 _How are you anyway Liza? I hope you're well._

 _C x_

 _P.s. I also contacted you because I miss you._

The quote he'd included in the email was actually one of his favourites, but it also reminded him so much of Liza, and it expressed his feelings for her perfectly without him explicitly saying the words he had no doubt he would say to her one day, but knew it was too soon to do so right now. He'd anxiously awaited her response after hitting 'send', and he'd gotten zero work done as a result of refreshing his inbox every 30 seconds. He'd almost jumped out of his skin 20 minutes later at the 'ding', signifying he'd received a new email as her witty response popped into his inbox. Charles read it through repeatedly, his smile growing wider each time as he heard her voice reading the words out to him.

' _Charles, hey!_

 _How are you? I've been thinking about you – a lot! And I've missed you too. …Aside from that I'm good, thank you._

 _OMG Congratulations about By The Book! That's the first section I read every Sunday! Of course I would love to help! Okay…well, you could start with the classics. You know, Tolstoy, Pynchon, Hume. Agatha Christie or Dashiell Hammett might be cute. And I know it doesn't sound edgy, but I'd throw in some unexpected nonfiction. Maybe Doris Kearns Goodwin or Rick James' memoir. That's a quirky curveball!...you can tell I've had a lot of time to come up with my own answers!_

 _Oh and the quote – I love it, it's perfect. Definitely keep it :)_

 _I'm so excited for you!_

 _L x_

 _P.s. I'm really proud of you.'_

He'd felt like an excited little boy at Christmas as he'd formulated his reply. They talked and subtly flirted over email for about a week, before Liza included her mobile number in one of her emails. His heart had been racing that night as he called the number he'd memorised and already saved to his phone. They'd caught up on months gone by and shared more stories of their past lives. The banter and ease of conversation was still there and they'd talked and laughed as if they'd known each other forever and no time at all had passed, and before he knew it 4 hours had flown by.

They'd came up with a plan to call each other once a month, and it was the highlight of his month - he looked forward to it, counting down the days until their next call. They were due to call each other tomorrow and he was going to ask her to meet up with him. They also emailed fairly frequently, sharing anecdotes and little things they thought the other would find amusing or interesting – there was an unquenchable need to have some form of contact, any contact, even if it was only in print. But now he wanted, or more correctly - needed, to see her. He'd repaired and recovered from his divorce – talking to Liza every month had helped them both come to terms with the ending of their marriages. Even though they'd never even kissed, and God did he want to kiss her, when he'd held her in his arms and she'd fit so perfectly, as if she'd been made specifically to be there – to complete him, he'd known unequivocally that she was it for him. They didn't need to wait any longer – she was the woman he was meant to be with, of that he had no doubt. He was nervous, but he felt deep down that now was finally their time.

Daydreaming about what that could mean for them would have to wait though because as he looked at his watch he groaned as he realised it was much later than he'd thought and he was already late for the party. Maybe Bob and Julia were right in saying he worked too much. He ordered an Uber and checked his appearance in the mirror – he looked tired and his suit was a little wrinkled but he still looked smart. It would have to do anyway because he didn't have time to change. When his phone notified him that his car was outside he picked up his discarded coat and headed back out, planning on showing his face and then slipping away as soon as was socially acceptable.

He arrived at Bob and Julia's 15 minutes later to find their house lit up like a Christmas tree and brimming with festive cheer. As he made his way down the hallway to the main lounge he heard the strains of 'The Lonely Goatherd' coming from inside – he thought it a strange choice for Christmas music, but shrugged it off. He'd barely opened the door half way before Bob noticed him and waved him over with a huge smile on his face.

"Charles! That's the woman we've been wanting to set you up with!" Bob exclaimed enthusiastically, gesturing towards the front of the room where two women were putting on a show. He vaguely remembered Bob saying something to him about knowing a woman who'd be perfect for him and wanting to set him up. He'd politely brushed him off, not interested in anyone other that the woman who'd captured his heart in the courtyard at Princeton when he was 22.

"I've been wanting to set you up with" Julia interjected proudly.

As he looked over at the woman they were referring to, if his jaw hadn't been attached it would have been on the floor right now. The world could have literally spun off its axis and he wouldn't have noticed, because there in front of his eyes, no more than 20 feet away, sporting braids and a makeshift dirndl, was Liza – his Liza.

"Her daughter is Rose's roommate." Bob added, explaining how he knew her, but Charles barely heard him.

"Who's that on the accordion?" Charles asked, with a pang of jealousy, registering for the first time that there was a guy who seemed to know her, up there with her and Caitlin.

Bob waved his hand in dismissal, "Don't worry about him. That's the ex – out of the picture. This is just their holiday tradition." So that's the idiot who had had Liza but threw it away.

"Huh" was all that came out of Charles's mouth. He smiled at the irony of the situation – his best friends thought that Liza was perfect for him, he thought Liza was perfect for him, and even if they had never met before – even if he hadn't thought about her every day for over half of his life, they still would have found each other tonight. If that wasn't fate then he didn't know what was.

Charles couldn't take his eyes off of her, or keep the grin off his face, as he watched her yodel and dance around with her daughter, who was obviously enjoying herself. She was so adorably cute and dorky, it made his heart swell. He had to choke back a laugh at her startled expression as their eyes met across the room – she looked horrendously embarrassed but she had no need to be, he found it nothing but charming. He grinned in amusement when as soon as the final note rang out, she scurried out of the room, a blush colouring her cheeks. He knew he had it bad, because in that moment he couldn't have wanted her more.

He chatted to Bob and Julia for a few minutes, in much better spirits and immensely glad he'd made the effort to come now.

Bob grinned and held his hand affectionately out to Liza as she sheepishly came over to them, having disposed of her dirndl now and undone her braids. "Oh, excuse me, fraulein. There is someone who would like to meet you. Charles Brooks, this is Liza Miller." The warm tone of voice Bob used told him that he held Liza in high regard, which just reaffirmed to him even further how right she was for him.

He couldn't control the grin that took over his face – he was just so unbelievably happy to see her. He'd been out of his mind with excitement at the thought of just speaking to her tomorrow, but to have her here now, less than two feet away from him was like all of his Christmases coming at once. "It's very nice to meet you Liza." His words held a double meaning because it wasn't just nice to meet her (again) tonight, it was nice to meet her now that all of the obstacles that had been between them before were no longer there.

Liza stuttered but smiled warmly at him, "You too."

"That's quite an act you've got there" he told her affectionately, causing her to blush.

Bob and Julia were practically beaming with pride at their matchmaking skills. "Charles owns a publishing company. And don't you work in publishing too Liza?" Julia added, giving them a conversation starter – not realising they had absolutely no problems there.

"I do", Liza replied, and a tingle ran down his spine at the thought of hearing those two little words in a different context.

"Well, you two have so much to talk about" Julia proclaimed happily, "We'll leave you to get to know each other." And with that she linked her arm with Bob's and pulled him back into the lounge, leaving him alone with Liza.

They smiled shyly at each other – neither of them having expected to see each other tonight. It had always been unexpected when they'd bumped (quite literally sometimes) into each other, but tonight was especially so for some reason. It could be because they'd been in contact for the past 10 months, unlike before previous encounters, and so there had been that constant effervescence of excitement and anticipation around them, their feelings always at the forefront of their minds. So now that she was stood right there in front of him in the flesh, it felt like every nerve ending in his body was on fire.

"I think they're trying to set us up" Liza said amusedly.

Charles chuckled, "I'm kicking myself for not listening to Bob 6 months ago when he told me he knew a woman who'd be perfect for me. See the thing is, I was too hung up on a someone who I haven't been able to get out of my head for 23 years…if I'd known they were the same person I'd have taken him up on his offer."

Liza blushed and ducked her head. When she looked back up at him he could see the excitement and nervousness he was feeling reflected back at him in her eyes. "Well, we're here now" she said softly.

His heart raced at the thought that they were finally here – together, and without barriers. "We are" he smiled warmly, "Why don't we get a drink and find somewhere quieter to talk?"

"I'd like that." The smile on her face would have caused him to fall in love with her right then, if he hadn't already fallen, irrevocably, many years ago.

The house was fairly crowded with merry party-goers, so they opted for the less crowded veranda. The patio heaters counteracted some of the cold winter air, but there was still a chill, so seeing that Liza was only in her dress he draped his coat, that he was still carrying, over her shoulders to keep her warm. "Thank you" she murmured gratefully. He loved how she pulled his coat tightly around her and inhaled deeply. The sight of her wearing his clothes was breath-taking, and something he didn't think he could ever tire of seeing.

"I'm nervous" "I'm a little nervous", they spoke in tandem and then laughed, smiling shyly at each other.

Her voice was low and husky as she spoke again, "I remember the first time I saw you – you were wearing this beautiful navy suit. You looked so tall and important."

He smiled, remembering that moment well – it was one of the most defining moments of his life, because it left an indelible imprint on his heart and set up a chain of events that ultimately led them to this moment. "The first time I saw you, you were dragging your luggage across the courtyard at Princeton, whilst reading 'Look Homeward Angel'. And I thought, 'who does that?'"

"I do" Liza replied softly, almost a whisper, and there were those two words again.

Charles tentatively reached for her hand and slowly entwined their fingers, their collective gasp at the contact they'd longed for for over half their lives, the only sound that could be heard. He lovingly rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, and when their eyes met and he saw that hers were glassy with emotion, he had an overwhelming urge to tell her how much she meant to him.

"When Pauline left, I never thought that I would stop feeling angry. But then I met you again, and it was like a cloud lifted. I feel like me again around you, and I am just so grateful that you are in my life." He stepped closer to her, never letting go of her hand, so their clothes brushed and there were only inches separating them. "You're not a rebound. I know what I want, what I've always wanted – and I want you" he told her firmly, wanting her to have no doubt in her mind. "I don't want to wait any longer to be with you."

The smile on her face as she replied could have lit up the whole of New York, "I feel the same way."

He let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, in sheer relief and happiness that she shared his feelings. "We've been waiting for 23 years – I think we've waited long enough."

No more words were needed as he bent his head and captured her lips with his, pouring all of the longing, desire – and love, that had been building and pent up for the past 23 years into that kiss. As their lips touched and they tentatively explored each other's mouths, he literally saw stars. He'd never understood that saying before – until now. He'd dreamed of this moment for so long, he couldn't believe he could finally do this – be here with her, touch her, kiss her. The feeling of his lips on hers was indescribable – the only word he could think of to describe what it felt like was 'home'.

When they came up for air, he held her to him, unwilling to lose the feeling of her body touching his. Their faces were flushed, their lips kiss swollen and they both had huge goofy grins on their faces.

"You were worth the wait." Liza whispered, resting her forehead on his.

His throat was tight with emotion as he cupped her cheek and placed a tender kiss on her nose. "So were you. I've never stopped thinking about you."

"Me neither" Liza murmured as she played with the hair at the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.

His heart was so full with love and desire, the culmination of 23 years of longing, it was overwhelming. "How about we get out of here?"

"I'd like that." Her eyes had darkened with desire and it made his pulse race.

"Good, because we have 23 years to make up for." He leaned down and tenderly brushed his lips with hers once more, a promise of what was to come – for the rest of their lives if he had anything to do with it.

"We've got all the time in the world now – this is our time." Liza whispered softly against his lips, whilst taking his hand in hers.

"Finally."

Everything happens for a reason and the world had continually brought them together, ensuring their trajectories were aligned. They were always destined to share an epic love story, but they had to wait for the right time, for their time – and they both knew that that time was now.


End file.
